Pieces
by Yoyodiza
Summary: Blaine Anderson-Hummel is a soldier in a war he never wanted to fight. All he wants to do is return to the love of his life, Kurt. However, in war things are never simple. Inspired by the song 'Pieces' by the band RED. Warnings: Character Death.


**This is my first fic in months. The idea for this fic came from several combined ideas of fics I have wanted to write, but I was listening to a song by RED called 'Pieces'. This haunting song inspired this Soldier!Blaine story. It is set in Blaine's final moments.**

**Warnings: Mild language, Character Death. **

"Blaine, promise me you'll come back. You have to come back. If there is a situation where its every man for himself, do not be noble. Run like a coward. I will still love you no matter what, just please come home to me. To us. I need you." Blaine embraced his husband.

"I promise. I will not leave you alone. I will return, and everything will resume. We'll still walk around Central Park, we'll still go to our coffee shop, we'll still share the same bed. Once this pathetic war is over, everything will return to normal." Kurt absorbed his husband's words, as he nuzzled into Blaine's neck.

"I wish you'd let me go instead of you." The new conscription rule for the war against terror had meant one male member of each family had to enlist, or face serious consequences. After many arguments and fights and make-ups, Kurt and Blaine had decided that such a decision would be left to chance. A coin toss later saw Blaine entering a war he wanted no part in.

"We've already agreed. Besides, someone has to look after the little one." Kurt tightened his hold on Blaine, forcing him to stay in his chest. Blaine clutched back even tighter, as he felt tears well up in his eyes. Kurt pressed a kiss into Blaine's neck, before drawing back to see his face.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too Kurt. I'll see you soon. I promise."

…

"Sergeant Anderson, look out!"

Before searing pain infiltrated his body, and fear took hold of him, Blaine turned to see a flash of light and an explosion of dust. Blaine felt himself being blown backwards, into the air as he zipped through the dust cloud. Heat and pain and red ripped through his lower body, causing him to scream in agony. His scream was muted by the cracking and booming of the explosion. He collided with the ground onto his back. The force of the fall knocked the wind out of his lungs, leaving him breathless and broken. Around him he could hear the screams of the infantry. His infantry. They sounded so frightened, their pitches rising and howls becoming animalistic. Coughing harshly, the world whirled around Blaine, as he attempted to move to help them. However, his limbs betrayed him. He could not move. Once the dust cloud cleared partially, Blaine was suddenly surrounded by his men as they buzzed around him anxiously.

"Come on men, get the medical team. Move!"

"But Sir, his legs!"

"Get a move on!" Officer Kendal remained at Blaine's side whilst the remaining soldiers scurried around for help. "Sergeant Anderson, can you open your eyes for me?" Blaine could feel everything around him shaking, causing his body to vibrate violently.

"Anderson-Hummel. My name is Anderson-Hummel." Blaine opened his eyes weakly, and found himself looking into his comrade's eyes.

"What happened?" All he could see was his comrade's worried face, and the blue Helmand sky above his head. Not a cloud in the sky. Officer Kendal averted his gaze, when Blaine realised his friend's face was covered in blood. Was it his own? Someone else's?

"There was an unexpected IED at the side of the road. You were the closest to it and -" Blaine's body suddenly was paralysed with fear. What had happened to him? "And the medical team are on their way. You hear that Blaine? Don't give up on me yet!"

"I'm never giving up." Blaine said stubbornly, as a new wave of pain tore through him. He cried out in agony, his face scrunching up. Once the worst of the wave passed, he saw his comrade's eyes flicker momentarily down his body. Officer Kendal's face looked pained, but also a little disgusted. He hadn't meant for Blaine to see, but it was too late. This made Blaine even more anxious.

"What is it? What's happened to me?" He attempted to sit up but felt and excruciating pain flare up in his abdomen. He was gently pushed down to the ground by the Officer.

"You shouldn't look yet. Wait until the medics come." Blaine's eyes widened. To see the extent of the damage to his broken body, Blaine looked to his right and left. He lifted both arms, relieved to see that his hands, fingers and both arms were still intact. Using the limited strength he had, he felt his way down his body. To his horror, his hand came into contact with a sticky substance, which he knew instantly was blood. He continued his body search until he came to his legs. Or where they should be.

"I can't feel my legs." He realised. Panicked, he turned to his comrade. "Please tell me my legs are still there. Please tell me I'm just going into shock!" He pleaded. With one shared look, Blaine knew the worst.

"I'm so sorry Blaine. Your legs - they're gone. You've been badly burned up your chest, and there is continuous bleeding. The medics are coming soon, just don't give up."

"What's your diagnosis? Am I going to die?" Blaine asked numbly. The waves of pain were becoming worse, as they became tsunamis.

"Come on Blaine, you know I'm not qualified in medicine. Just wait for the medics-"

"I can feel it. Death. Its coming." Officer Kendal shook his head furiously,

"No, no way. I won't let that happen. You're going to live." He paused, thinking of something that would keep Blaine fighting, make him want to hold on to life. "You're going to survive, and you're going to get home to that husband of yours. What's his name again?"

"Kurt. His name is Kurt." Despite his pain, Officer Kendal could see a little light come back into Blaine's ashen, pale face. The Officer nodded encouragingly. "Right okay, Kurt. Think of him. What would Kurt be doing right now?" It was a delay tactic, getting Blaine to think of his loved one, but the Officer knew it might give the broken man before him some comfort.

"Kurt - he'd be - erm - he'd probably be getting up, ready to go to work. He works at a high-powered magazine, so maybe he's overlooking some last minute edits. Sipping a medium drip coffee, which keeps him going through - through the - day. " At the end of his sentence, Blaine began to cough violently, causing blood to spill onto his uniform. Officer Kendal wished the medics would get here sooner. Where the hell were they?

"He sounds like a busy man. What about children? Do you have any?" Blaine composed himself from all the coughing, just enough to be able to get out more speech.

"Not - not yet. We have a - child on - the way via a - a surrogate. A child I'm - I'm never going to meet." Blaine's face scrunched in distress, as tears began to make their way down his face. He hated crying, but there was no way to stop the flow of tears falling now, as he mulled over the things he was involuntarily giving up.

"Don't say that, Sergeant. You can make it through this-" Officer Kendal tried to console an anguished Blaine, but Blaine cried out angrily.

"Its not fair! It shouldn't - shouldn't end - like this. I tried so hard! I tried so fucking hard! To stay alive in this shitty war. A war I had - no - no choice in. Torn from my husband, taking - taking his place so he wouldn't have to fight. I made a promise to him. I promised I wouldn't leave him alone. I'm breaking the one promise that - that mattered." The corners of his vision were beginning to blur, as the blue sky and Officer Kendal's face merged. Blaine blinked a couple of times, trying to regain his perfect vision.

"Blaine?"

…

"Officer? Where'd you go?" The colours in front of his eyes danced, causing Blaine to flinch away from the over-bearing light. What was going on?

"Blaine." A voice kept echoing his name, but it wasn't Officer Kendal's gruff monotone. It was lighter, more familiar. Too familiar. "Blaine."

"Kurt?" Blaine knew it was ridiculous. He reasoned he must be going into shock, or beginning to hallucinate. But it was definitely Kurt's voice calling his name. Kurt's distinctive voice that was nothing like the soldiers' voices around Blaine.

"Blaine." Kurt called again. His face suddenly swam into view, clear as day. There were his eyes, his cerulean eyes that bore into Blaine, and his plump lips that turned up into a smile. All the fear Blaine had held suddenly dissipated. Kurt was here. Everything was going to be okay.

"Kurt?" Blaine questioned, hardly believing his eyes but doing so anyway. He hadn't seen his husband in so long. 8 months to be exact. 8 long miserable months, 6 torturous days, 3 dismal hours and 16 depressing minutes. He'd missed him so much. Kurt continued to smile at him, which confused Blaine.

"I've missed you so much Blaine." He finally spoke. Blaine attempted to smile back, grimacing at the pain. But he ignored it, entirely focused on Kurt.

"I - I missed you too. So, so, so much." Kurt looked down at Blaine, shaking his head slightly.

"What happened?" Kurt asked, pain evident on his face as he took in his husband. Blaine coughed again, more blood spilling up.

"I - I was caught in a - roadside blast. My legs - my legs - my legs are gone." Blaine managed to get out, ashamed and fearing Kurt's reaction. Kurt looked at him in shock, but not disgust.

"My poor Blaine." Kurt leant down, and cupped Blaine's cheek with his hand. Tears spilled down Blaine's cheeks, as more pain forced its way through his body. He could feel the blood dripping onto the desert floor, each drop bringing him closer and closer to death. The pain was excruciating, and he wished it would just end. He wished for death. He welcomed it, as long as the pain stopped. Yet he feared the abyss. The hand on his cheek was the only thing keeping him grounded and fighting for his life. Kurt.

"Kurt, am I dying?" Kurt's blue eyes pierced through Blaine's, as he reached for his hand.

"I've been so faraway from you. I need you." Blaine tried to blink back tears at Kurt's words.

"I'm so sorry. I tried so hard. I thought I could do this, without dying. But I'm in pieces. I tried so - so hard to get back to you." Kurt stroked his cheek in comfort.

"Hush Blaine. You've been so brave. I'm so proud of you, everything will be all right."

"How can you know that? My legs - they've been blown to bits. I was so close to coming home to you."

"Blaine, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll keep you safe, always. Trust me." Kurt smiled sadly, before leaning down to press his lips against Blaine's. He could feel the pressure of soft lips against his own, causing a small smile to creep up on Blaine's face. He'd missed this so much.

"I love you Kurt." Blaine said against his lips. Kurt smiled back, pulling his head away slightly.

"I love you too Blaine. Soon we'll be a proper family. The due date is soon, and we'll have either a little Maria or Scott to complete the Anderson-Hummel clan." Blaine continued to smile, as he opened his eyes to look at his husband. To his horror, Kurt was gone.

"Kurt? Kurt?" His vision blurred again, and the image of Officer Kendal shot into view.

…

"Blaine?" He questioned hesitantly. Officer Kendal looked down at his broken friend, realising he was in the final stages of delirium.

"Where's Kurt? Is he coming back?" Blaine asked desperately, his eyes becoming more and more glazed over. The Officer wasn't sure what to answer.

"Blaine, Kurt is back in America." Blaine did not take this well. He thrashed around, not accepting the Officer's words.

"Very funny. He was here just a second ago. Stop kidding around." Kendal sighed wearily. Blaine's face was white, literally as white as snow. The pain in his face was beginning to subside, as the Officer realised Blaine was slipping closer and closer to the verge of death. He may as well be kind for Blaine's last few minutes.

"Sorry, he's just gone for a few minutes. He'll be back real soon." Blaine smiled, as his eyes began to droop.

"Okay, wake me up when he gets back. I'm just going to rest for a minute. Tell him I love him." Sergeant Blaine Anderson-Hummel's eyes fluttered shut, as he took his last breath. Kendal hung his head as he mourned for his friend. Another life unfairly extinguished in this pointless war. His thoughts wondered to the grief Kurt would face, as the medical team came rushing up to them…

…

"Oh my god Blaine, I know I'm not supposed to leave messages but I just HAD to tell you. Guess which fabulous couple are now fathers… Us! The baby is a girl, so when you return home, I can properly introduce you to Maria Anderson-Hummel. You're going to love her so much. She is so beautiful, she looks just like you. I can already see she has your curls. God I miss you so much. Call me when you get the chance. I love you Blaine. See you soon. Bye."

…

Kurt stood in front of the gravestone of his beloved, holding a sleeping Maria in his arms. He had his winter coat wrapped around them both, as he clutched his daughter to his chest for warmth. Kurt tried desperately not to cry, looking to the sky as if it would offer any solution. He closed his eyes, letting the tears fall down his face. His chest heaved silently, as shrank into his coat with his daughter, his last connection to Blaine.

"Hi - Hi Blaine. I - I came here to introduce you to somebody. This - this is Maria Anderson-Hummel. Our daughter. Say hi to your - your Dad Maria." Gently, he reached into the bundle in his arms, picked up her tiny hand and motioned a waving motion with it. "This is your Dada, Maria. He - he was the bravest man I've ever known. The best man. He saved me, and gave me hope. He was stupid enough to love me, but in doing so I led a happy life with him for 8 years." Kurt stopped, looking back at the gravestone. It held Blaine's name, his married name, and the dates of his life and service. It seemed so superficial, just having the basic facts on Blaine's gravestone. In 100 years time, people wouldn't know who Blaine Anderson-Hummel was; they'd just know he lived and died.

"Blaine - I don't know if you can hear me. I know I don't believe in a God, but I really, really hope you are somewhere much better than here. I need to believe that you are alive in some form or another. I love you so much - its tearing me apart knowing that you're not coming home. Knowing that I'm never going to see you, - its killing me. I can't let you go. Not yet." Kurt finally broke down, silently letting the sobs take him over. He brought his free hand to his mouth, trying to hold in the grief like a dam, but it continued to overspill. He muffled a scream with his fist, biting into it to stop the noise. His fist was curled in so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white.

He crumbled, falling to his knees, careful not to jostle Maria. He sat next Blaine's gravestone, touching it gently with his free hand.

"Blaine - I miss you so damn much. I don't know how I can carry on without you." He looked down at his daughter. "We both need you so badly."

Maria began to stir in Kurt's chest, with the soft gurgling sound a newborn uses to communicate.

"Hello sweetie." Kurt removed his hand from Blaine's gravestone and placed it around Maria, securing her into his chest. He placed his finger near to her face, gently stroking her baby-soft cheek. Her small hands flailed out of her blanket, and grabbed his one finger. Kurt's heart stopped in his chest. Her tiny fingers fastened around his index finger like an anchor, bringing him back to reality. In that moment, Kurt knew he had to carry on, for the sake of his daughter. With Maria here, he wasn't so alone. That was his reason to keep on fighting; to keep her safe, and make Blaine proud of him.

Filled with fragments of hope, he turned to the gravestone and pressed a small kiss against the cold stone.

"Goodbye Blaine. We'll see you soon. I love you. Forever and Always." Kurt stood up, turned to the gravestone, waved Maria's tiny baby hand, and then walked towards the future.


End file.
